better success by this help 28. Melancholly and trouble of mind brings great hurt to the spirit whereas chearfulnes fortifies the heart and makes one persevere the better in a good life Therefore the servant of God ought always to be chearful 29. Scruples because they disquiet the mind and make it melancholick ought to be greatly shunned 30. We must not ask of God temporal blessings as health riches prosperity and the like absolutely but conditionally if it please God and if they be expedient 31. When God bestows on us any internal grace we ought not to diclose it except to our spiritual Father otherwise we loose it 32. Who goeth to serve the sick or do other charities must imagin such a sick person to be Christ and all he doeth to him to be done to Christ himself for so it is done with more love and benefit 33. When any man doth a good work and another ascribes it to himself and assumes the glory of it he who did it ought exceedingly to rejoice and acknowledge it a great favour from God that others take that from him before men because he shall recover it with greater reward before God. 34. He doth ill who hath confidence of himself and he who puts himself on the occasion of a sin saying I shall not fall commonly doth fall with greater damage of his own soul who would not fall let him not trust to himself nor presume on his own strength but say to God Lord trust not to me nor expeâ—t any thing else of me but evil and I shall assuredly fall if thou help me not 35. To keep far off all danger of impurity young men ought to fly carefully whatsoever even the smallest occasion of this sin Therefore this H. man forbad his spiritual children to touch one another not so much as by the hands altho but in jesting 36. When the soul resigns it self into the hands of God and is contented with the divine good pleasure it remains in good hands and is very secure that it will go well with it and it belongs especially to a sick man to resign over himself and to say to God Lord if thou wilt have me behold here I am tho I have done no good at all do with me what seems good unto thee 37. Who willeth any thing but Christ knoweth not what he would have who asketh any thing but Christ knoweth not what he asketh who worketh and not for Christ knoweth not what he doth 38. We must not be fastned to any thing in this world be it never so small a matter but we must be humbly affected amongst the creatures and desire to have so low a condition as to stand in need of Six-pence and begging for it to be denied it 39. Who would have riches shall never have the Spirit 40. The soul who gives it self to God must be wholly God's and what love is bestowed on Parents and kindred or on studies or on it self of so much love is God deprived 41. The man who loves God with true love and prizeth him above all things sometimes in his prayers meets with an overflowing of tears and a concours of graces or feelings of the Spirit in such abundance that he is forced to beg an abatement 42. One ought to reserve for himself neither place nor time when there is need to help his neighbour and ought to quit his Spiritual gusts and his prayers for his neighbour and leave Christ for Christ And this is a great perfection and few know how to do it 43. When God's servant hath no troubles nor any to persecute him and treat him injuriously if he would find the Spirit let him imagin that some wicked man comes to affront him and sayeth much villany against him and to injurious words addeth as uncivil deeds beats him with a cudgel or wounds him with a sword and with his fist makes his face black and blew and being thus abused then with great servency of love in imitation of Christ let him incline his heart to pardon the wrong that is done him and overcoming all angry motions that may arise and not willing for the love of God to take any revenge let him with great love forgive him as if he had truly received such an injury that by the frequent practice of such imaginations the heart may accustom it self to pardon a real injury as the souldier who learns to play at foils by accustoming himself to handle his armes afterwards makes use of his art to fight in good earnest 44. Suffering Penance is still necessary to the servant of God and when straightned with any affliction then let him expect a consolation for God never sends an affliction but that he sends after it a consolation and in summe the whole life of him who serves God is nothing else but first a consolation and then another trouble 45. When God visits any man with an affliction and he hath not patience to bear it it may be well said unto him Thou art not worthy of God's visitation nor deservest so great a benefit 46. When there come against us tribulations infirmities and things much contrary to us we are not timorously to fly them but valiantly to overcome them because if thou fly from any of them another worse will come upon thee who flies from a hoar-frost will be covered with snow who flies from a Bear meets with a Lion. 47. When God's servant goeth to receive in the Sacrament the glorious Body of Christ in which are all the delights of heaven he ought to stand in fear and prepare himself more than ordinarily for future temptations because the marvelous Graces which are conferred in that divine Sacrament God will not have to lie idle for Grace more abhors idlenes than Nature doth vacuities 48. When any one feels within his heart a new and extraordinary spirit for the reason before mentioned let him stand prepared for some temptation and tribulation and whilst one feels in him this ardor of the Spirit let him ask of God strength to be able to endure whatsoever from heaven he shall be ordained to suffer and that the temptation induce him not to any sins great or little 4â— If any should ask what is the greatest tribulation a true servant of God can have It may be answered him Not to have any tribulation at all 50. Let young men beware of the sin of the flesh and old men of the sin of avarice the first is overcome by flying the second by resisting 51. A man must always stand in fear and not trust to himself because the Devil makes his assault unexpected and darkens the understanding and who stands not in fear is overcome because self-confident he is destitute of the help of God. 521. In the temptations which the lasciviousnes of the flesh suggests to us let the tempted have recourse instantly to God and make thrice on his heart the sign of the H. Cross and say Christ thou Son of God have
mercy on me or the verse of the Psalm O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me or this Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me and let him kiss the earth and say to the tempter I will accuse thee to my spiritual Father if thou temptest me any more 522. Obedience against our inclinations is to be practised in small matters and which seem of no consequence because thus we attain a facility to yeild it in greater 523. The mortification of the will and understanding in matter of obedience to Superiors is much more beneficial and attains sooner to perfection than great corporal Penances 524. It is not sufficient to consider if God will have such good done as is attempted but if he will have it done by our means in such a manner at such a time which appearing not to be God's will we ought contentedly to desist from any such enterprise 53. There is nothing better for man than Prayer and without it he cannot endure long in the way of the Spirit therefore every moment must he have recourse to this most powerful means of Salvation 54. The enemy of our salvation fears nothing more nothing makes him sadder nothing he seeks more to hinder than Prayer 5â— When one is praying let not his bodily eyes be so fixed on an Image that he never removes them from it for this will hurt the Head but let him make use of an Image for the help of his memory as for example to reduce into his mind the benefit of the Incarnation of Christ or his Nativity or his death on the Cross or if it be the Image of a holy man or a holy woman let him make use of it to put him in mind of their virtues that he may imitate them and pray them to intercede to God for him 56. To know how to pray well it is a very great help to read the Lives of Saints and when the Spirit inclines him then to meditate on them and so when it inclines to think on the passion of Christ then to follow that attraction and not to pray or meditate differently from that to which the Spirit moves 57. Fancies which intervene are a great disturbance to prayer and many troubled with such by-thoughts give it over but they do not well for notwithstanding any such fancies one ought to persevere still as much as may be in prayer and God often gives in a moment that which could not be obtained in a long time 58. Amongst other things we are to ask of God a chief is perseverance in well-doing and well-serving of God because if any hath patience and perseverance in well doing in a good life after once begun he will acquire an exceeding great measure of Spirit 59. In the beginning of the conversion of a soul to God the Spirit useth to come sometimes strongly upon him but afterward it seems as it were to go away and the Lord shews thereby as if he had forsaken him but stand he firm and it will return again 60. God useth almost never to send death to one who much serves him but that he first notifies it to him by some sign or by giving him the Spirit extraordinarily 61. There are three degrees in a Spiritual life the first is called an animal life the second the life of a man the third the life of an Angel that is to say the Lord useth in the beginning for the drawing of souls to himself to entice them with sweetnes and with a certain spirit and gusts extraordinary and then afterward he makes a shew to go far from them witholding his most holy hand from these sweet treatments to see if they stand firm in the Spirit leaving them to fight it out for a little time and then when they have made resistance for a while and have overcome those tribulations and temptations he restores afterward their heavenly gusts and consolations doubled and this is a life Angelical void of all pain or offence 621. It is no pride to desire to exceed in sancity any Saint whatsoever because to desire to be Saint is to desire we may have the will to love and to honour God above all things and this desire if it were possible ought to be extended to infinity because God is worthy of infinite love and because his greatness is infinite 622. No man ever ought to trust his own prudence but in all things to ask counsel of God consult his Confessor and beg the prayers of others 63. To maintain our selves in a good life and the holy service of God frequent Confession and the holy Communion are most necessary for the right practising of these is a very great help 64. For Graces obtained by the way of prayer we must continue so long our prayer till the grace be perfected and if prayer be intermitted God doth sometimes suspend the grace Therefore if a sick man for whom prayer is made begin to mend upon the prayers made for him these then must not be ceased but as such recovery was begun by prayer even so by the strength of prayer must it be perfected 65. When he who prayeth feels in the continuation of his prayer great quietness of spirit it is a good sign that God either hath or will grant the grace he sues for 66. Many feeling within themselves carnal temptations or the like doubt sometimes whether they have consented or no but if the person tempted feel in himself still a love toward that vertue against which he was tempted and an hatred against that vice it is a sign he hath not consented Likewise if he would not swear that he hath consented it is a sign that he hath not consented because when there is a deliberate consent the soul easily perceives it 67. After the temptation past we must not reason if we have consented or not for such reasonings cause a return of carnal temptations 68. Carnal temptations ought to be feared and fled even in sickness and in old age it self so long as we are able to shut and open our eyes for the spirit of fornication spares neither time nor person 69. The servant of God if with more security he will walk amongst so many snares spread abroad in all places let him have for an intercessor for him to her Son the Bl. Virgin. 70. Church-goods must be employed sparingly and not be spent but upon necessity because they are goods which belong to God. 71. Chearfulness and mirth is good in him who serves God but he must file dissolutenes and be careful not to fall into a spirit of jesting for they who delight in jesting render themselves incapable of ever receiving the Spirit of God and if they have any thing that is good in them they lose it suddenly 72. When the Priest visits the sick let him not play the Prophet saying that the sick person will not recover because sometimes having prophesied death if
the sick become well again he is displeased that he hath erred in his prophecy 73. A Confessor is to be chosen with serious deliberation for it is a great advantage to have a good guide in so difficult a way but having chosen one he is not easily to be changed but to be believed and conferred-with about our occurrences because God will never permit that a Confessor should err in a thing that might be a hinderance to the soul of a Penitent 74. To profit by reading the lives of Saints or other Spiritual books we must not read them with curiosity or in hast but by little and little and when any feels himself touched or that some devotion ariseth in him he must go no further but shut the book and there stop and hearken to the Spirit and when it fails return to his Reading 75. To pray well the soul must first bring it self into a most profound humility and know it self unworthy to stand before so great a Majesty and to shew to God its necessities and its weakness and being humbled cast it self on God that he may teach it to pray 76. When any man remains listless and all-discontented or feels his sensual appetite troublesom and frequent he must not lose courage because when God will bestow any virtue he permits a temptation of the contrary vice that by fighting and resisting a man may make himself capable of that virtue against which he was assaulted 77. It is not fitting to leave off doing any good work because one feels some rising of vain-glory because as often as Vain-glory is not the Mistris but a companion of the work it takes not away the worth of the work tho perfection is in this that it be a servant 78. Whosoever desires to live in a strict way of Religion let him first learn to subdue his will in some things wherein he finds greatest opposition because thus with more facility he shall persevere 79. When any one of his own accord would fast use discipline wear sack-cloth or the like and his Confessor doth not like it the Confessor ought not to be violently urged to give any such licence 80. Let a man stay in his own house i. e. within himself and not become a Syndick or Judge of the actions and lives of others if he desires not to make rash judgments nor to murmur at nor to despise his neighbour 81. A young Convert is not to seek to convert others but to be careful to confirm himself and to make himself strong against temptations and to be humble and not to think he hath done any great matter but rather to esteem himself to have done nothing that he fall not into pride 82. Scrupulous persons are in all things whatsoever to depend upon their spiritual Father and not trust their own judgment otherwise they will never be able to deliver themselves they may well find a truce but not a peace 83. A man who serves God must remain resigned to feel the gusts of the things of God and to want them to entertain chearfulness and sadness 84. It is a thing very dangerous to spiritual persons to desire to see visions and many who have followed after such a spirit have fallen into great ruine 85. To cure any one who hath fallen into some sin after a vertuous life led for a long time there is no greater means to reduce him to his first condition than to make him do some eminent mortification that is to make him discover his fault to some others of a singular good life with whom he hath some intimacy in whom he may confide because by such humility God will raise him up to his former estate again 86. All men are much concerned in the quiet of their own conscience therefore if any would make some particular vow the Holy Man thought it good for the most part that it should be made conditional as thus If I can If I remember or in some such manner 87. In every thing and for every thing we ought to throw our selves into the hands of our Lord for if God will have us to do nothing more than we do yet he will make us good in that which we do 88. A Religious man who is in an Order fallen away from its ancient discipline and findeth in himself great gifts of the spirit ought not to leave his own Order to enter into another but to abide therein for God will make use of him towards the reforming of his Order by his good Example 89. We must not be swift in advising our brother concerning his defects and wants but first we are to consider our selves afterwards others and to do it with much prudence 90. Every man ought so live to holily every day and to frame all his actions in such a manner as if that should be his last day 91. If thou lovest all men with true love thou canst never bear hatred to any man neither for words spoken against thee nor for dis-curtesies received for in a heart where there is not love to our neighbour whomever there God is not 92. Who perceives some discontentedness in himself ought not to be troubled at it for it will quickly pass over but in the mean-while to overcome such an ill passion he must say his prayers or sing some spiritual Hymn of praise 93. We must be ready to obey the will of our Superiors and to do rather the will of another than our own 94. Whosoever desires that Christ should give him the first place in heaven let him be well pleased to stand always in the last place here on earth and when any one perceives himself despised let him thank God for it hoping that honor is reserved for him in heaven 95. Let all things be taken in good part and judge not other mens actions but learn to have compassion on our neighbours defects thinking with our selves that if God did not hold his hand upon our head we should do worse and he who hath any good parts let him not be proud but give thanks to God from whom cometh every good 96. We must seek Christ where he is not i. e. in Crosses and Tribulations where now our Redeemer who is crowned with glory is not to be found and when any falls into Tribulations he must not complain because they are sent from God our most loving Father and most merciful Lord to procure us the greater crown in heaven 97. Every day for some short time read some spiritual book and be careful to retain in memory some particular point which may be profitable to your soul 98. When there is occasion to buy any thing none ought to be moved with affection to it but with the need or want of it and the holy Man used on such occasions to say I buy not affections 99. At the time of receiving the Holy Communion we should beg a remedy against that vice we find our selves most inclined to 100. When any one visits the
praescriptum Likewise besides weekly Confession and the informations of others concerning their defects and faults they are obliged at least once in six months to render an account of their conscience to their Superior wherein they communicate to him sub Sigillo if they please not only their faults but the whole state of their souls their contentednes in their condition their proficiency in prayer in the Spirit in virtues their temptations impediments anxieties fears their desires consolations joys c which may give their Superior more light how to proceed with them for the future how to cure their infirmities and advance them toward perfection See Summar Constit R. 40. and Reg. Mag. Nov. Obliged also once in the year for renewing of the Spirit every one of how great employment soever to retire himself for certain weeks or days and repeat the Spiritual Exercises For Corporal Mortifications and Penances they have no set Rule prescribing these alike to all as many other Orders but are left to the arbitrement and direction of their Superior who occasionally appoints these to several persons both for the kind and degree differently as he thinks fit Which matter is thus ordered because the necessary employments imposed for the service of their neighbour do require as to many especially Seniors the remission of these corporal afflictions and some indulgence one way to enable them for fatigues in another wherein they meet with far greater mortifications of the Spirit in foregoing some other contents and satisfactions of our nature than those of the flesh amount to For which imployment to fit them the better the Juniors of the Society are prepared first with the Spiritual Exercises retired from all humane conversation with strictest Examens of Conscience General Confessions many hours in the day Meditations after this the more to abase and humble them with a constant service for two or more months in the most vile and abject offices of the House Next with being sent to an Hospital for a month or longer times attendance of the sick enquiry also being made after their behaviour Hence sent abroad on a pilgrimage without mony or other humane aid for their subsistance that lodging with the poor in Hospitals they may learn to forego the respects and honors of the world and begging their daily victuals they may learn to wait and rest wholly on the Divine Providence and receive thankfully whatever good or bad treatment he affords them and lose all affection to the support and supplies of their kindred and not fear the extreamest necessities of the lowest secular condition The subduing of our will in such Spiritual appetites being both to all more beneficial and to many much more difficult than the subduing of it in the carnal Frequent Letters yearly monthly weekly as Rectors to the Provincials to be sent to Superiors giving account of all special occurrents within and without the Society and concerning all persons in the Society as well their Superiors as inferiors in which that all freedom may be used their Letters are not to be opened that so all may be kept in perfect obedience and co-intelligence and all things being discovered things amiss may sooner be rectified good beginnings improved c. 6. For Solitude They are prohibited to go to one anothers chambers or to the gate to speak with strangers without leave as also enjoined to keep silence when meeting one another and when at table exceptis usitatis salutationibus Reg. Communes 27. Nisi obiter perpaucis aut de rebus necessariis Reg. 26. Sive in quibus loqui necesse sit Reg. Magist Novit 79. c save at those times of the day wherein conference is allowed viz. the two hours of recreation after dinner and supper 7. For Chastity They are enjoined not to touch one another at all tho but in jest not to contract any particular familiarity or friendship with one more than other not to go abroad without a companion and witness of their conversation not to speak with a woman but that the other be present in the same room to see what they do tho standing out of distance to heart what they say lastly to confess and communicate every week Because no rules so perfect that they fit best all times and persons therefore most of the Constitutions of this Society left dispensable by the General or his certain delegates or also by the Provincials as extraodinary occasions require For the due execution of all the Constitutions and Rules of the Order a Provincial is appointed to visit once every year every House in his Province residing in each for what time he seeth fit And besides this in every particular House there is appointed a Consultation of the Governor and his Assistants in the beginning of every month concerning this matter at which time is a Compendium or Memorial of them and of other Ordinances of the Provincial or other Superiors read over to see the better what is neglected See for this Instructio 18. pro Executione urgendâ To the Governors of the Society are always joined a certain number of persons for Consulters with whom the Governor is to advise in all matters of moment but having heard them to determin and execute what himself pleaseth One of which Consulters is appointed to be his Admonitor but praemissâ oratione concerning any thing which he thinks belongeth to his duty and office or which is neglected by him yet chiefly concerning those things which the Consulters think meet to be told him which Admonitor is faithfully to conceal his admonitions yet in much neglect of these by the Governor he is obliged to acquaint the higher Superiors therewith Letters directed to the Admonitors may not be opened by the Superiors These Consulters are not elected by the Governor whom they assist but by the next Superior and those of the General by the General Congregation See Regul Consultorum Admonitoris And Constit 9. p. 4. c. 4. § The dangers incident to this most prudent and holy Order upon their omitting solemn divine service seem to be these their much converse in and with the world their being much tempted with gifts by reason of their good services to be publick their liberty of dispensations and arbitrary government their intentiveness to studies and humane Sciences their not having much prescribed mortification the being intangled too much with secular affairs the omission of devotions and mortifications the diminishing of the Spirit by prosecution of knowledge the use of knowledge to too much curiosity and hindrance of edification the loss of humility by the inflation of science the trespassing against poverty in acquiring of wealth tho it cannot be denied that both by the fundamental Rules of the Society and those since both of the Generals and the General Congregations of this Order all cautions are used for preventing these things and for preserving the primitive Spirit of the Society that Christian prudence can easily suggest so that the Original designs of the Society be not laid aside The Ordering of the Novices of the Jesuites IN the first Novice-ship their employments are thus ordered They rise every day at four of the clock in the morning except on Saturdays when they rise at five and have half an hour to dress themselves and to make their beds and to read over the subject of their following Meditation or Prayer At half hour after four they betake themselves to their Meditation or Prayer for one whole hour The next half hour till six they ruminate and take notes of their precedent Prayer At six they go to Mass all together except those who are to serve at Mass at some other time which lasteth half an hour The next half hour they betake themselves again to their Chambers and read some spiritual book till seven And then they go to Breakfast Or else for one hour next after Mass they are to be present at some Sermon or some spiritual Conference and thence they go to Breakfast At eight they do the work of the House i e Some carry wood some sweep the Chambers some help the Cook in the Kitchin some make clean the dining room and lay the cloth napkins knives and all necessaries for dinner and these works they share amongst them At nine they betake themselves all to their Chamber till a quarter past ten to read spiritual Books At a quarter past ten they learn something without book for one half hour At three quarters they make an Examen of their conscience till eleven At eleven they go all to dinner except those that wait who dine when the rest have done From dinner they go all either into the Garden in Summer or into some large Hall in the Winter to discourse together and refresh themselves after their Morning Recollection till a quarter before one and then for that quarter they hear the Saints Litanies At one they betake themselves all to their chambers to read till three if there be no Exposition of Catechism or Sermon at two At three they do the same works that they do in the morning at eight or such like At four they prepare themselves for mental Prayer which begins at the half hour after and is continued till five At five they ruminate and take notes of their Prayer till the half hour At the half hour they go into the Church to pray and vist the Bl. Sacrament of the Altar for one quarter and thence they go into a great Hall and walking recite their Rosary till half hour after six Then they go to supper and thence into the Garden or Hall to refresh themselves after their afternoons Recollection till eight At eight they betake themselves to their Chambers and read for half an hour the next quarter examination of conscience is to be made and the last quarter they are to be all in bed by nine On Sundays and Holy days at six of the clock after the first Mass they all communicate and then hear another Mass in lieu of the Sermon or Conference on other days FINIS